nickerson



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

'i CHARLES Y. NICKERSOX, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN FIRE-ARMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 8,690, dated January 27,1852.

To all whom it 'may concern:

Beit known that I, CHARLEs-V. Nieman- SON, of the city and county of Baltimore, and State 0f Maryland, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fire-Arms for Loading at the Breech; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full and clear description 0l' the construction and operation thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification.

Figure l represents an elevation of the ordinary fowling-piecc. Fig. 2 .is a vertical scctional view of the same, the barrel having been moved forward in a position to insert the cartridge into the breech-chamber. Fig. 3 is a vertical section, showing my improvement as applied to a musket, the barrel and stock having been moved forward in aposition to insert the charge into the breech-chamber. Fig. 4 is an inverted view, showing the projecting bar, with its spring-catch, of the butt the stock. lg. 5 is a view of the under side of the stock, showing its grooved socket-case.

\Vherethe same letters ofreference occur on the above gures they indicate the same parts.

-The nature of my invention and improvement consists in dividing the stock at the junction of the barrel and breech, and furnishing the butt of the stock with a horizontal bar or guide-plate projecting rom the lower portion thereof, fitted into a socket, sheath, or ease, secured to the under side of the stock, whereby the barrel and stock are supported and allowed to have a longitudinal movement from the breech for the insertion of the cartridge into the chamber, and using a spring-catch attached to the under side of said bar fOr-interlocking with the sheath or case, whereby the barrel is held securely in its place when closed in with the breechchamber to confine the charge. This manner of mounting the barrel is designed to be applied to the musket wherein the barrel is firm ly banded to the stock, and cannot slide independently of the latter.

A is that portion of the stock in which the y barrelv B is mounted. G is the butt of the stock in which the breech D is mounted. E is the cock; F, the trigger; G, the triggerguard. H is the cap-nipple communicating with the breech-chamber. I is the sight of the barrel. J is the chamber of t-he breech to receive the charge, enlarged at its upper end to receive the end of the barrel B when closed in with the breech. The breech D is secured firmly 'to the butt C by bolts a b c.

vK is the bar for 'supporting the barrel bolted iirmly to th'c under side of the butt, and projecting horizontally forward into the case or sheath L, let into and secured to the stock, whereby the barrel is permitted to move from and toward the breech. This bar K is provided with a spring-catch, M, to lock the barrel and stock A (which are banded together) to the breech, when the charge is inserted, by the end thereof entering an opening, N, formed in the case L. The bar K is also furnished with a pin or catch, P, near its outer end, which enters 4a slot, Q, made in said case L, the use of which is to'arrestthe'moifeinentbf the barrel B from the breech by catching against the end of said slot Q, as shown in Fig.- 3, the slot allowing the barrel B and stock A to recede toward the breech to be again locked by the spring` M after. the insertion of the charge. The bar K is provided with a recess to permit the spring-catch M to be unlocked from the socket-case L to move the barrel with its stock. The upper portion of the supporting and guide bar K ismade dat, and its lower portion convex to lit the socket case.

The operation of loading the musket is as follows: The operator grasps the stock Awith its barrel in his left hand, and with the foreinger of the 'right hand presses the springcatch M inward, and thus unlocks the projecting bar K from the socket-case L of the stock, and with the right hand separates the butt of the stock with the breech D from the other part ofthe stock A and barrel B until the pin or catch I strikes the end of the slot in. the socket-caseL. The cartridge is then inserted, and the breech and barrel again drawn together, the end of the barrel entering the enlarged portion of the cartridge-chamber or breech D, when they are again locked together by. the spring-catch M entering the opening N in the socket-case.

Having thus described my improvement in lire-arms fo`r loading at the breech where the barrel is banded or secured to thestock, I wish it to be understood that I make no claim to being the original inventor of a hre-arm or gun loaded at the breech such as that patented in France to Mr. Tourrette, of Paris, on the 24th November, 1834, described in Brevets d Inventions, Vol. 55, and in descriptions of other guns which are loaded at the breech7 patented and unpatented; but

XVhat I do claim as new, and deslre to secure by Letters Patent, s-

Dividing the stock at the junction'of the barrel and breech, and mounting the barrel and that portion of the stock to which itis attached with a sheath or case upon a'longitu din'al bar or tongue projecting from the butt of the stoek, as represented inthe drawings, whereby the stock and barrel are allowed to have a movement from the breech for inserting the cartridge into the chamber thereof, and returned and locked by catch to conne them together.

In testimony whereof Ihave hereunto signed my name before two subscribing witnesses.

CHAS. V. N ICKERSON. fitnessesz y XVM. P. ELLIOT,

A. E. H. JOHNSON. 

